NCJ Number
66887
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: (MARCH 1980) Pages: 41-49
Date Published
1980
Length
9 pages
Annotation
A PSYCHOLOGIST'S POLICE HIRING RECOMMENDATIONS ARE COMPARED WITH HIRING DECISIONS IN A GIVEN DEPARTMENT, AND THE PERFORMANCES OF OFFICERS RECOMMENDED AND NOT RECOMMENDED BY THE PSYCHOLOGIST ARE COMPARED.
Abstract
BETWEEN 1963 AND 1978, 119 MALE APPLICANTS TO A MUNICIPAL POLICE DEPARTMENT WERE GIVEN PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS. HIRING DECISIONS MADE BY THE PSYCHOLOGIST AND THOSE MADE BY THE DEPARTMENT WERE CATEGORIZED. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HIRED 43 OF THE 50 MEN FOR WHOM THE PSYCHOLOGIST RECOMMENDED 'YES' (86 PERCENT); THE DEPARTMENT HIRED 23 OF THE 28 MEN FOR WHOM THE PSYCHOLOGIST RECOMMENDED 'YES, BUT' OR 'PROBATION' (82 PERCENT); THE DEPARTMENT HIRED 17 OF THE 41 MEN FOR WHOM THE PSYCHOLOGIST RECOMMENDED 'NO' (41 PERCENT). FIFTEEN OF THE MEN WHO WERE HIRED AND OF WHOM THE PSYCHOLOGIST RECOMMENDED 'NO' WERE COMPARED IN JOB PERFORMANCE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME WITH 31 HIRED MEN FOR WHOM THE PSYCHOLOGIST RECOMMENDED 'YES,'. THE GROUPS WERE NOT FOUND TO DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY IN JOB PERFORMANCE. WHILE THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT CONGRUENCE BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT'S HIRING SELECTIONS AND THE PSYCHOLOGIST'S RECOMMENDATIONS, THE DIVERGENCE SHOWS DIFFERENCES IN HIRING CRITERIA BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT AND THE PSYCHOLOGIST IN A NUMBER OF AREAS. THIS MAY BE EXPLAINED BY THE BROADER DATA BASE USED IN THE DEPARTMENT'S HIRING DECISION, INCLUDING IN ADDITION TO THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE, PERSONAL REFERENCES, AND OTHER BACKGROUND DATA. THE PSYCHOLOGIST, HOWEVER, BASED HIRING DECISIONS ONLY ON TEST RESULTS. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD EXPLORE THE CONGRUENCE BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT INFORMATION SOURCES USED IN THE APPLICANT SCREENING. THESE DIVERSE SOURCES NEED TO BE COMPARED IN THEIR ABILITY TO PREDICT ACTUAL JOB PERFORMANCE. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)